Rewa, April 4
The fragile peace in the Gadra village of Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj district suffered a new blow when three bodies were discovered in a house on Friday, deepening the turmoil already burdening local police authorities.
The grim discovery came to light after neighbours reported a foul odour emanating from the residence of one Auseri Saket. Upon their arrival, police entered the premises and found the bodies hanging.
Auseri Saket had been living alone with his two children following the demise of his wife. Authorities believe the bodies to be of Auseri and his children.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Ankita Sulya stated, “Three bodies have been recovered from Auseri Saket’s residence. While we suspect their identities, confirmation is still pending.”
She added that Saket's daughter had been reported missing before the incident.
The police have to ascertain if the family of Saket had some connection with the March 15 police-public clash in the village. This tragedy occurred amidst heightened tensions in Gadra village, where Section 144 remains enforced following the March 15 clash, which resulted in a mob attacking a police team attempting to rescue a resident, Sunny Dwivedi, leading to the death of Assistant Sub-Inspector Ram Charan Gautam.
Heavy police deployment has continued in the area since then. Sunny Dwivedi also died in the attack.
On Friday, neighbours of Saket reported noticing the foul smell and immediately alerted authorities.
A forensic team and additional personnel from Rewa were summoned to assist with the investigations.
Preliminary police assessments suggest the deaths occurred roughly a week prior, given the state of decomposition. The incident has plunged the village into shock, and law enforcement officials continue to explore the possibility of foul play or deeper conspiracies behind the tragedy.
Last Friday (March 28), multiple groups representing SC and ST (scheduled caste and scheduled tribe) communities and some social organisations took out a rally in Mauganj, submitting a memorandum to press their demands of a fair CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) trial in the villagers-police clash that occurred on March 15. Protesters had accused the police of targeting innocent tribals and mistreating women and disabled individuals.
The police have so far filed charges against 38 individuals. Action has also been taken against the family of the main accused, Ashok Kol. The villagers are adamant on their demand of a fair probe in Ashok Kol’s death who, according to police, had died in a road accident in contrast to the claims of villagers that he had been murdered. In response to the March 15 incident, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has already removed both the Superintendent of Police and the District Collector from their positions.